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The Steps to accomplish eCommerce in Business to Business

There is a substantial rise in the number of business-to-business companies joining hands with online eCommerce community. Whilst there also exist companies, that underestimate the benefits of being on the online platform. As per the research by Forrester in the year 2013, B2B companies, not considering the option of going online, are taking a huge risk. According to that study, 69 percent of B2B company, covered under the survey, opined that they would quit printing catalogs in the coming five years. If you are one such company, not considering joining the online bandwagon, then this is the time for you to get alert so that you are not defeated in the online race. This article presents stages to be gone through to venture into the B2B eCommerce scenario.

Stage 1: Determining the need for Joining the eCommerce Bandwagon

Primarily, you need to prove the need to bring your B2B Company online. You also need to research if being online would make it easier for your customers to buy online. You should also research on your competitors who are online. Also, analyze if you are going to offer lower price or better customer service than your rivals. If you are able to quantify the answers and your research supports going online, then it is proved that need for joining eCommerce is strong. The growing popularity of eCommerce for B2B will also support this need.

Stage 2: Specifying Requirements

Once you have proven enough the need for launching your B2B business online, you need to proceed to plan for your online store. You will also need to decide the desiderata your business will need to function online. Identifying the procedures and processes, which must take place while a customer places an online order, is also important. The types of payments and payment terms should also be well defined. Not only the ones specified here, but also there are a number of questions you must ask yourself and get the answers in order to set your eCommerce store. You must be meticulous in this stage as the success in future depends on how well your site was planned.

Stage 3: Choose a Platform

In the next stage, your company needs to select an eCommerce platform for your webstore. That platform which is structured for B2B businesses is flexible and can be customized as per your business needs and requirements. You must choose a platform which can handle all of your requirements as estimated in the stage 2. If you are unable to find a suitable platform, then you can go for a customized one. The platform you choose must be the one that is flexible and permits you to make the modifications and integrations required for smooth running of your site.

Stage 4: Launching your Site

During the next stage you will be launching your site on the eCommerce platform. Hiring a web development company or having in-house development team dedicated to your ecommerce site can help with customization and integration of the selected eCommerce platform. You should ensure that your site has been tested for usability and a beta version is launched before the final version is presented to the public. Inform your previous, existing, and prospective customers about the day on which you will launch your eCommerce site. Include your website address at all places where your company address is mentioned. Set targets with incentives for your marketing team for increasing the visits to your sites. You can also plan to celebrate an event to declare your site’s launch.

Stage 5: Helpline

A good eCommerce site provides round the clock customer support for the eCommerce site. Ensure that the web development company you have hired for creating your website is providing you support whenever any technical website issue arises. If you have opted for in-house development team, you will have to ensure that they thoroughly understand how the site works. It’s not very motivating for your business when you lose a customer just because your site wasn’t functioning aptly.

All in all, it can be said that launching your business on the eCommerce platform needs consistent and meticulous efforts. Planning different stages thoroughly is the key to launching and running a successful eCommerce site. All the efforts invested in different stages, will reflect through the benefits that you will yield through your online shift.

With blogging experience in various fields of technology, Michael Waugh has gained impressive knowledge about Magento Development. Currently he is associated with Potenza Global Solutions, a top-notch IT company that deals with eCommerce Solutions